The Old Contemptibles

This year the world is marking the 100^th anniversary of the start of the First World War in 1914 and so it was fitting that our fellow Rotarian Willie Coupar should address the club with a talk on the role of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in the early stages of the war.

Willie opened by recounting the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife in Sarajevo. This act eventually lead to a series of events and German aggression, culminating in the outbreak of war across Europe. In the preceding years the British and French had entered into various entente cordial alliances and Britain was forced to act when Germany declared war on France and invaded through neutral Belgium.

Willie explained how Britain was totally unprepared for war but the BEF was hurriedly mobilised and despatched to assist France against the German invasion. The German Kaiser, Emperor Wilhelm II, was alleged to have been dismissive of Britain